The sub has been awesome in giving me confidence, I got a Giant XTC from CL. and was going to order all the parts from Luna's Black Friday Sale. A couple of questions, I will have a bike shop remove the bottom bracket, but I am assuming the Bafang 750 with the 17 AH battery should be an easy install at that point (or is it)? I am thinking of having the bike shop install the motor too and I do the the rest. besides a pedal crank, Allen wrenches etc, what tools will I need? Any top rated videos to watch? Is the speed sensor worth it? What about the half twist vs. full twist vs thumb throttle? Color display,, etc. Since the bike has a 10-speed cassette, will that be good or bad (me thinks good). Any other thoughts or pointers? Should I order the stuff from Aliexpress or Ebay?

Motorcycle manufacturer KTM has long produced bicycles too, but it is in the e-MTB category that the brand’s heritage is really employed. Motocross fans and riders looking to get into e-MTB riding will appreciate KTM’s decision to use a ‘precise’ 29er front wheel and ‘traction rich’ 27.5-Plus rear wheel (MX bikes also feature different front/rear wheel sizing), an approach some other manufacturers have also adopted (e.g. Canyon). The bike is adorned with a solid build kit including e-MTB-specific parts like SRAM’s EX1 drivetrain.
Older Americans, especially those 65+ are the real drivers of electric bike adoption in the United States. Betty and Grady Smith of Beaumont Texas may not know it but they are the driving demographic for electric bicycles and tricycles. Both in thier eighties, the couple enjoys riding thier Worksman electric side-by-side tricycle around town. As a business offering electric bike and trike conversion systems since 2008, we've gotten to know...
The Liv Amiti-E+2 is a low-priced but highly versatile e-bike. It’s just as much at home on the pavement as it is on bike paths and rail trails. But don't feel constrained to groomed paths. Front suspension and 42mm-wide tires mean you can take on off-road detour on your way home from work. Speaking of work, this e-bike makes a great commuter thanks to rack and fender mounts and integrated lights for riding after dark. Internal cable routing and a nicely integrated battery make for clean lines and 9-speed shifters give you plenty of gearing options for whichever type of terrain you decide to tackle. This do-everything bike is great option if you’re riding includes a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
So i am 15 years old. I drive to school every single day and go to the gym about 4 times a week. My bike is starting to let me down, and in march i will be 16. I want to go immeadietly for my driver license when i can, so i don’t want to study for so long and get my scooter license and pay a couple of thousand to get one, just to do it all over when i go for my driver license. Do you advise me to get my Ebike now? Or wait until i can get my scooter? And if i should get it, do you advise i build my own? I hear it’s like a pc, since you can get the performance of a 2000 dollar ebike with a 600-800 dollar bike you build yourself. Can Anyone advise me on these grounds?
It’s probable that GM was hoping for more press for its announcement of the same day as Musk’s interview going live, that it had actually built and was going to sell a pair of electric bikes. It launched a $10,000 naming contest. The bikes were built in-house by GM, including engineers who had worked on the Bolt. The Director of General Motors Urban Mobility Solutions, Hannah Parish said:
Up to today we have been offering up to 500W of power for those that need this extra umph depneding on rider weight or terraine but now with up to 1000W soon configurable from our hope page you will have the power you need to handle any situation. Tow loads with Stark Drive, leave the car at home and use pure electric power to bring home your groceries from your local market. Take your kids with you wherever you would like with a cargo carrier.
Time to give some love to my dudes and dudettes over at Bulls bikes. The Bulls E-Stream Evo AM 4 27.5+ (phew, out of breath after saying that one) is an incredible electric bike for the price point. I was going to put the step down from this bike on the list, (2018 Bulls E-Stream Evo AM 3 27.5+) but I realized that this bike is only $400 dollars more. The upgrades you get for that 400 bucks are pretty remarkable.
The harder you pedal, the bigger the boost, the faster you’ll ride—to a point. E-bikes let you hum along at a brisk clip, but they aren’t motorcycles. You’ll never jackhammer down the road at 45 mph. The motor is governed to stop propelling you further when you hit 20-28 mph, depending on the bike. So you’ll save time on your commute (I shave about three minutes off a five-mile trip) but still enjoy the scenery.

In the pursuit of speed, all trails lead to Camber. We designed it to be the ultimate speed-loving trail bike, which means that having equal efficiency both up and down the trail is an absolute must. To make sure of it, Cambers feature our fully active & independent FSR suspension with our Position-Sensitive Brain technology. So if your rides see you going big and going fast, the Camber is tailor-made for you.

Weight isn’t anything like a critical as one would assume. Weight distribution however is a different matter and this is where geometry, specifically the ratio of the front centre measurement to the chain stay length really comes into play. Battery placement is important too, and smaller batteries give an edge in the handling stakes while robbing the bike of range.
“Rather than bolt on a bulky off-the-shelf system, we struck out on our own to redefine the category. The Powerplay system is the result of designing an electric drive for the suspension and geometry needs of proper mountain bikes; in fact, the geometry and pivot points of the Altitude Powerplay are identical to those of the new Altitude. In our opinion this is the first electric bike that actually rides like a mountain bike should.”
A couple of days ago I went out with my 16yo son on our regular bikes. I soon realized that I can, at 52, no longer keep up with him and pushed myself way beyond what I should have. When we got home I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack and had to lie down. I was very upset as it dawned on me that as my son got faster and faster I would get slower and slower and that meant I would hold him back on our rides. I decided to investigate and went online to see what was available to help me. I had never heard of Pedego but on a search a Pedego store came up that was a few miles from my home in Fort Worth, TX. I called and spoke to owner Vicky. I asked what time the store stayed open till and she said 5pm. I said j worked until 5pm and she immediately volunteered to stay open later for me to go down to the store. I arrived at 5.30pm and by 5.45pm after a test ride I had purchased my brand new Ridge Rider!! WOW! What a spectacular machine! I drove home perhaps a tad faster than I should have and my son and I went out for a ride. We did the same ride from a couple of days earlier and although I broke a sweat I got back home and felt great! Thanks to the amazing torque of the APS and buttery smooth gear changes I managed all the hills and slopes with ease and saved the flats for actual pedaling under my own steam. Thanks Pedego, you might just have saved my life!!

The new Stumpjumper is the ultimate trail bike. Seriously, the damn thing rides like it’s on rails. It’s the most versatile trail bike we’ve ever made. And yeah, we’re stoked about that, but we’re even more excited about how well it’s tuned to you. We’ve said goodbye to proprietary bullshit, focused on your needs, and made, what we feel, is the new benchmark in trail bikes.

Mountain biking is all about having fun, right? About getting out there, enjoying the great outdoors, exercising your body and freeing your mind. So what if we told you there was a type of bike that lets you ride further, faster, and have even more fun? One that even made you LOL on the climbs? You’d still have to work for your rewards, but by assisting your efforts, it allowed you to wring every little drop of enjoyment out of your rides.
Ethics aside, that’s not to say we don’t at least admire where the technology has taken us thus far – and where it appears to be heading- thanks to some of the best electric mountain bikes on the market today. Some, naturally, are more rugged and built to withstand greater beatings than others. While some feature a price tag similar to that of a new Harley-Davidson. Whatever the case, if the disposable income is there, as well as the integrity not to abuse the power these electric machines offer, then they’re certainly yours for the taking. Just have a look at our eight favorite picks below and see for yourself.
The Commencal Meta Power Race 650B+ was the best climber of the bunch. The bike had a comfortable climbing position, with a slightly longer reach than the competition, but the highlight was the Shimano Steps E8000 motor. The Shimano motor's power band extends for just a moment after the pedals stop turning, providing the rider with just a little more push to get over obstacles or carry speed when you stop pedaling for a second. This extended power was brief, but it made a huge difference when tackling technical uphill sections or playfully ripping berms or over rocks on the climbs. While it was agile and quicker handling, the Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Comp 6Fattie lost ground in this rating metric due to the somewhat abrupt pedal assist cutoff that occurred the moment you stop pedaling. This abrupt power cutoff caused awkward moves in slower technical uphill sections when jockeying pedals to avoid rock strikes. The HaiBike didn't climb as well as the Commencal, but it undeniably had traction for days and a motor that also extended the power band slightly beyond the last pedal stroke. The Trek Powerfly had a long wheelbase, reach, and chainstay length, giving the bike a long rear end that kept impressive traction while climbing as long as you kept your momentum, the overall length of the bike, however, made it a little tougher to negotiate in the tighter stuff.
Rarely does one have a retail experience this favorable. First, the product is first rate. I can’t say enough about the Pedego Ridge Rider I bought, just an amazing e-bike at this price point. Second, to have customer service that is also outstanding is just amazing. The owners are genuine, knowledgable, and do everything in their power to give the customer a positive experience. Third, try an electric bike by Pedego, they’re truly an amazing experience.
Every major bike manufacturer—and literally dozens of smaller ones—is already in the e-bike game. Car companies aren’t far behind. Ford is already bankrolling an electric bike-share system in San Francisco, and plenty of others are eyeing up the e-bike market. “The car business is jumping in with both feet,” Benjamin says, “because they realize that cars in high-density urban areas, where more than half the human race lives, just aren’t working anymore.” With big transportation players like Uber looking into e-bikes, and cities searching for ways to relieve traffic congestion, programs may only continue to expand.

Many years of experience have clearly shown that it isn’t possible to make a universal and realistic estimate of an ebike’s range. The range of an eMTB depends on countless factors such as the support level, terrain, rider weight, environmental conditions, and cadence. Those who demand a lot of power from the motor consume a lot of electricity. If you want to travel far, you’ll have to save battery power. Read more about this topic in our article The truth about lab tests.

When looking for the perfect ebike, there are a lot of things to consider. There’s price, weight, capabilities, performance and something that’s hard to quantify: feel. That’s a combination of factors that is affected by the geometry of the bike, its materials, components and other nuances. I took a ride on the crowd-funded Carbo folding bike this week and I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as comfortable on a folding bike in the city as I did on this extremely light, yet powerful ebike.

In addition, Kalk weighs under 155 pounds — less than half of traditional motorbikes. Cake customized parts of the drivetrain and implemented an interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor. On a single charge, the bike travels up to 50 miles and as a bonus feature, maintenance is minimal due to the fact there are few moving parts thanks to its lack of a combustion engine.
The Best in Test and Best Value tips do not result from the sum of star ratings, but by the assessment of the entire test team, taking into account the overall concept of the bike. It would be methodologically wrong to only add up the star ratings to make a final judgment in a scoring system – saying that something is “good” will not help anyone if they don’t know what it is for and for whom it is “good.” For this reason, we give a clear recommendation in every test result for which type of rider and purpose the bike is suitable and which not. The bikes themselves are as individual as the riders are – we just want to provide you with all the information you need to make a well-informed decision before buying. Here’s to long-lasting fun!
When all was said and done, the Commencal Meta Power Race 650B+ proved to have everyone's favorite e-bike controls. Commencal uses the Shimano Steps E8000 motor and system which features ergonomic thumb shifters, a small but easy to read digital display and a secure and straightforward charging connection. The ergonomic shifter of the Shimano system is better than the electronic buttons found on both the Specialized, HaiBike and Trek. The Commencal's best-in-the-test digital display also proved to be a favorite for its small size and out of the way mounting location, easy to read at-a-glance information, and color-coded support settings information. The HaiBike's Yamaha PW-X motor and system also featured a digital display, but testers thought it was a little too big, displayed too much information, was more challenging to read, and generally felt a little more clunky and less refined than the Shimano system. That Trek Powerfly's Bosch Purion shifter and display unit was easy to read and had a bright screen, but was in a less visible location on the left side of the handlebar. Our Editor's Choice Award winner, the Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Comp 6Fattie scored the lowest in this rating due to the lack of a handlebar mounted display and a less user-friendly charging connection.
Whether you need to fly uphill with ease, rip downhill terrain at speed, or your rides simply demand all of the above, we've designed and engineered every mountain bike in our line to be the best performing machines for the way that you ride. From ultra-lightweight XC hardtails to our World-Championship-proven FSR suspension designs found on our trail and downhill bikes, you'll find the ideal setup for your riding style.

The demands for the best eMTB are high. It has to climb efficiently, be comfortable to ride, be very stable and composed, yet, on top of that, be a lot of fun on the descents. Also, its integration, ease of use, and motor performance must set the benchmark. Although all the motors perform at a high level, the Bosch Performance CX is unable to keep up with the competition due to the high internal resistance it generates at over 25 km/h. It’s a pity for the Moustache Samedi Race 11: it’s by far the best Bosch bike we’ve ever ridden, but it’s slowed down by the motor. With a price tag of € 5,999, the Trek Powerfly 9 LT Plus is clearly the cheapest bike in this group test. It climbs very efficiently, but is held back on the downhills by a poor choice of tyres and slow handling – you should consider a tyre upgrade in your budget. The Haibike XDURO Nduro descends with the stability of a freight train, but it has to let the competition overtake it when going back up. With its long 180 mm travel and high weight (24.54 kg), it even feels cumbersome on the downhills.

We’ve got to give you a Haibike downhill option considering their excellent history with downhill and enduro models. Downhill models are traditionally incredibly expensive, but the DwnHll 9.0 offers a slightly lower price point for a top mountain bike. The build is incredibly slack so you can rip downhill in ideal positioning. The PW-X motor makes climbing much more enjoyable as well.
Finally, if you’ve been waiting for the electric mountain bike to come of age, we’re happy to report that just happened. The combination of the 27.5+ platform with long-lasting batteries, and the remarkably smooth and elegant motor, all integrated into one sharp-looking design, and augmented by user-friendly software has finally delivered a slick, no-compromises product that you’ll want to own. I know we do, the entire IndefinitelyWild team is fighting over who gets to borrow it next.
You can’t really get a cheap e-bike just yet. But if you keep the car in the garage more often, you’ll save cash on maintenance and gas money. Not to mention the added health benefits and potentially fewer sick days from getting more exercise. Prices vary widely, but you should expect to pay at least $1,500 for a decent e-bike, and considerably more ($2,500-$5,500) for a quality bike with a motor system from a major manufacturer like Bosch, Shimano, or Yamaha.
Most consumers want an e-bike that will accommodate its motor without being too cumbersome and will remain stable in spite of its electronic components. Some consumers want only the most basic of e-bike features, including lights, a cargo rack/basket, and a water bottle holder. Others are focused more heavily on safety features, such as brake type. And still others are concerned with convenience and portability.
The RideControl Evo display features a button control on the grip and a readout on the stem, giving you control over ride time, distance and cadence. Best of all, it gives you as very accurate percentage readout of how much battery is remaining, so no excuses for running out of juice! The five rides mode are Eco, Basic, Active, Sport and Power and there’s also a walk assist button.
Name a type of riding, and there’s an e-bike for that. If you have zero interest in an electric road bike, you may find yourself head over heels for a high-capacity e-cargo bike that can haul 400 pounds of stuff while still cruising at a cool 15 mph. E-bikes are available in fat, cargo, commuter, recreational, hardtail, full-suspension mountain, and even performance road bike styles. For proof, here are a dozen e-bikes we love for every type of cyclist.
With most ebikes the choice of motor defines aspects of the frame geometry and to a lesser degree the suspension characteristics of the bike. Not with new Rock Mountain Altitude Powerplay. With its bespoke motor Rocky has been able to design an ebike that reflects the ride quality of a highly evolved 150mm trail bike. With instant power pickup, extended battery life and streamline proportions it’s not just the handling of the Rocky that will get you charged up for riding. It’s the best bike in this test by some margin, but we had an issue with the motor momentarily cutting and raising questions over it’s reliability.
Over the course of our testing, our testers universally agreed that the HaiBike XDURO AllMtn 8.0 had the most responsive and robust motor. The system felt almost twitchy, raring to go with a torquey feel that started the moment you pushed on the pedals. It got up to speed quickly and felt like it had the fastest top speed of all the models we tested. The power output was smooth and consistent, and shifting between the system's 5 support settings went off without a hitch. Testers also loved that the power band extended for a moment after you stop pedaling, not quite as long as the Commencal, but enough to still be a benefit on the climbs. The Commencal has a similarly strong motor, but couldn't quite match the torquey feel of the HaiBike or the top speed, although it has an even longer push of the power band when the pedaling stops. Both the Trek and the Specialized motor systems felt slightly less powerful, still offering plenty of pedal-assist support mind you, but that also resulted in the most efficient motors and longer distance ranges than the models with more brute power. Note that our Turbo Levo showed up with a top speed limit of 16mph and not the 20mph. We were very disappointed with 16mph as a max speed. Luckily, we were able to get it adjusted back to 20 and were then quite happy. If you buy a Specialized, make sure it's set to 20mph.
In response to customer questions about the display, we posted a video detailing the basic setup of the LCD during installation of the kit. You will need to adjust the settings for the motor type, wheel size, and battery voltage in order to match your specific kit. Detailed instructions are available in the E-BikeKit manual, E-TrikeKit manual and LCD Quickstart Guide
The sub has been awesome in giving me confidence, I got a Giant XTC from CL. and was going to order all the parts from Luna's Black Friday Sale. A couple of questions, I will have a bike shop remove the bottom bracket, but I am assuming the Bafang 750 with the 17 AH battery should be an easy install at that point (or is it)? I am thinking of having the bike shop install the motor too and I do the the rest. besides a pedal crank, Allen wrenches etc, what tools will I need? Any top rated videos to watch? Is the speed sensor worth it? What about the half twist vs. full twist vs thumb throttle? Color display,, etc. Since the bike has a 10-speed cassette, will that be good or bad (me thinks good). Any other thoughts or pointers? Should I order the stuff from Aliexpress or Ebay?
Of course, there is room for improvement. There is no handlebar mounted digital display and the only way to tell your speed is to mount a phone or bike computer to the bars. To see your battery life, you have to stop and look to the side of the frame (or risk crashing). The climbing performance was hampered by the drive unit's more abrupt cutoff when the pedals stopped turning. The charger connection is poorly designed and located: we spent a fair amount of time carefully removing mud to get the bike to charge. Overall though, the Specialized still proved to be the test team's favorite for its versatility and well-rounded performance. We loved it and we think you will too, read the full review to find out more about our Editor's Choice Award winning e-MTB.
The Ancheer folding electric mountain bike does have a few weird quirks. The first is the handlebar mounted battery. It saves space for the folding mechanism, but looks odd. Fortunately it has very little effect on handling because it is mounted so close the head tube’s pivot point. It does raise the center of gravity of the bike a bit, but the difference is small compared to how much you raise the bike’s center of gravity.
So i am 15 years old. I drive to school every single day and go to the gym about 4 times a week. My bike is starting to let me down, and in march i will be 16. I want to go immeadietly for my driver license when i can, so i don’t want to study for so long and get my scooter license and pay a couple of thousand to get one, just to do it all over when i go for my driver license. Do you advise me to get my Ebike now? Or wait until i can get my scooter? And if i should get it, do you advise i build my own? I hear it’s like a pc, since you can get the performance of a 2000 dollar ebike with a 600-800 dollar bike you build yourself. Can Anyone advise me on these grounds?

The distance range of an electric mountain bike refers to the distance you can travel on a single battery charge given a specific set of circumstances. All of the e-bikes we tested have roughly the same battery storage capacity, but outside variables like rider weight, pedaling input, terrain, trail conditions, and weather conditions may all affect the length of time or distance that a battery charge will last. To compare the distance range of the four models in our test we took the bikes out in their highest support setting and did out and back laps on the same trail until the batteries ran down from fully charged to completely dead. When we finished we recorded the distance and vertical gain that each model was able to complete and easily and objectively determined our winner.

It’s important to note that because this is an electric bike, not all trails are legally accessible. You’ll need to check with the federal, state, or local land management agency in charge of the trails you want to ride to see if it’s possible. You may also face some resistance from holier-than-though cyclist types. Those guys are best avoided anyway, and the glowing LEDs on the down tube should at least help you identify them quicker.
The final appearance of both the FullSeven and the Yamaha PW-X on the countdown. This top notch 27.5″ wheeled shred sled is another perfect fire road rider for the intermediate rider looking to step their game up. One thing I didn’t mention before but I wanted to let you all know is that I think the FullSeven geometry this year allows the bikes to be more accessible to riders of all sizes. Traditionally, most companies offer one or two options for female riders. Haibike does offer the FullLife models, but the FullSeven series by and large offers better components and a very similar geometry. I think that’s great.
The box looked rough. Lots of little digs and dents. When I opened the box, the contents were very well packed. Mine did show that it took a good hit to the headset stem as the spacers where shoved and the clear tape was all bunched up and the one spacer was almost at the edge. After taking the tape off, cleaning all the tape residue off everything went together super easy. I used the included multi tool to do most of the assembly. I just needed a wrench for the peddles.

Some power-on-demand only e-bikes can hardly be confused with, let alone categorised as, bicycles. For example, the Noped is a term used by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario for e-bikes which do not have pedals or in which the pedals have been removed from their motorised bicycle. These are better categorised as electric mopeds or electric motorcycles.